Two East Lyme students were among 15 Connecticut students who won the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Essay Challenge, an annual contest established by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. Overall, about 700 students submitted essays, according to Murphy's office.

Avni Kabra of East Lyme Middle School, Colleen Keller of East Lyme High School and Quentin Kuczaj of Windermere School in Ellington were the winners from the 2nd Congressional District, Murphy's office announced.

Murphy invited the students who won to a pancake breakfast celebration and will display their essays in his office, according to Murphy's office.

“Dr. King inspired us all to fight for justice and equality," Murphy said Monday in a statement. "For the second year in a row, I’m totally blown away by the essays and ideas of these students. It was hard to pick just a few winners. [On Martin Luther King Jr. Day], we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, and I hope that students across Connecticut who wrote essays took it as an opportunity to do so."

"If they stay engaged and fight hard for what they believe in, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to,” he said.